The Diary Of John

Saturday, May 24, 2003

"I just converted out of Christianity because I saw how ironic it was that god created us as flawed creatures and expects us to thank him for saving us from our flaws."

Im deciding whether to go and see the Matrix 2 this evening, there is supposed to be someone ringing me to go with me but i really cant see her ringing later on so ill just go on my own instead. This will be the third time that she will have asked me about going out or saying shes gonna ring and in England there is this thing in the part i came from about three strikes and out so unfortuantely for this young lady today is the final one. Lets say im not holding my breath her but they say that miracles can happen lol.

Theres quite a few movies that i wanna see though, i thought that Bruce almighty looked quite funny with Jim Carrey when i read about it online and there is a new comedy with Steve Martin that also looks really funny that i would also like to go and see if i get time :-). The In-Laws also looked a decent film from what i read online but i will ask a few people first to see whos been and what they thought of it first. The yahoo films section always is a little basic to get a good idea from it.

They have a copy of the Matrix film here at work but i love the big screen, they get alot of them from the internet and they are okay but for me its not just the big screen its all of it, the atmosphere, the smell of popcorn... the cute young ladies in the queues.... oops i mean lol ;-). for me its knowing all those other people want to share in the experience too.. a hundred or so people drawn to one place just for one thing - to feed their imaginations :-)

**Now playing Linkin Park - One Step Closer**

Im really getting into this group from the states now, it must be the influence of the teenagers i teach here lol. they are corrupting me.. can you see? lol. I used to be such a sweet person when i first came here to Brasil... you guys believe me dont you? ;-) My bro has some Offspring cds in the post for me, i cant wait for them to get here as they are really good. Something for my little teens to get into as that sort of stuff is right up their street lol.

I wonder if i will hear from my family today? We dont speak very often as its very expensive to call half way around the world and here the phone companies exploit international calls. Its about a buck a minute for me to call england so i hardly ring there now. At one time my brother was going to visit here but i have a feeling that he has checked out online where i live in Brasil and now he realises exactly how bad the place is that he will not come here now. It has to be said though that this part of Brasil even though its near the capital city is very poor and full of dangerous criminals so i guess it was to be expected that none of my family would come here. We will see right?

I will stop here as i need more coffee, one good thing here is the delicious brasilian coffee. I have no idea how much of it i drink in one day but probably not as much as people here think. My cup is usually empty more than its full just that i dont tell people lol. Later guys :-)

posted at 9:07 AM by john |

Friday, May 23, 2003

"In heaven all the interesting people are missing."
-Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Another one of those parents day things today, as you can imagine it will be really exciting for me as i have no parents coming to talk to me. Will be interesting to meet some of the parents of the other students that I know from the other groups. I guess I can always take my portugues study books with me and spend the time increasing my vocab lol. I take the books with me sometimes and just go through them with one of the other students, really just so I can hear the sound of the words etc, its not easy to study a new language all on ones own but I guess I will get the hang of it with time.

Oh need a cola… Be right back ;-)

That’s better.. I just got back from my conversation class and it turns out they have cut down to amount of classes to one every fortnight. I thought that the idea was to get the kids to attend but I guess I got it wrong… I have to check on this as my students were not pleased. They like to have these classes every week, I like them too as it’s the only time I get to do something different from the CCAA methodology. The joys of teaching, can you see how wonderful it is?

**Shoves into the player.. Eminem - Track.. Business**

One of the students lent me a cd by Avril Lavigne, its not bad for what it is. I like loudish music though but she sounds okay even though its typical teen stuff. The sort of music they play at skateboard parks etc but better than this brasilian rap music lol. If you haven't heard brasilian rap before you should think yourself very lucky lol. It is terrible.. hmm well in fact terrible doesn’t even come close to describing how bad it sounds lol.

I must try to get some emails done today too, I have been doing a few but got loads that I haven't read or replied to. Ill do a few in a minute before I go and get stuff ready for tomorrow and then its rest for an hour or so with the portugues books and then go over to the school for the wonderful thrilling parents meeting lol. Can you see how excited I am you guys? Lol.

Just having a quick read at the lyrics here for the Lavigne cd, I like to see sometimes what the words are although sometimes they get a bit crazy like Eminem or Wasp etc lol. The song Losing Grip is quite good although skater boy (sk8er Boi) is a bit teeny bopper but its something to listen too right? Lol. You can believe that Ariel, the girl who lent me this cd has bright red hair cant you? Lol

I had better end here and get something else done or I will still be here in an hours time and have nothing done and no emails written lol.

From the song Im with you - Avril Lavigne

its a damn cold nite
trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I dont know who you are but i
Im with you

posted at 10:38 AM by john |

Thursday, May 22, 2003

Were countless Iraqi civilians killed and maimed when war was not really necessary? Was the American public deliberately misled? Was the world?"
Sen Robert Byrd

Okay back from my medical and alls well :-). I have to say it was a very wierd medical though and went something like this

Doctor - hi john take a seat
Me - Thanks
Doctor - Hows your health? family all right etc?
Me - Yes all fine and my health too
Doctor - Your in perfect health... Please pay R$16 at the desk

I was in stitches of laughter but got the piece of paper i needed to give to my employer so i can get my carteira de trabalho stamped and get my FGTS payments sorted out. My new shiny CPF card came today too which means i can open bank accounts etc. Today is going just fine for me so far :-)

Ive got to check my email and get off to work now, maybe i will be here again later on... Who knows lol

posted at 3:53 PM by john |

Still thinking of a quote here okay??? lol

**Song playing I got the girl - Bon Jovi**

Suns out and i have a wonderful day.... to go to the doctors lol. Yeah thrilling aint it?. I just love the idea of people sticking cold things in various parts of my anatomy dont you? lol

On a lighter not a new pic here for you guys of Android 18, shes a cute robot girl from Dragonball Z. Many of you like watching this program? i like but have no time to watch tv alot in the mornings here :-)

Anyway this is just a quick visit was i have to get ready to go downtown now, so later guys :-)

posted at 8:26 AM by john |

Cute Android18 - My kids love her lol

Just in case youre wondering, this is Android 18 from Dragonball Z... My kids love this cartoon lol

posted at 8:01 AM by john |

Wednesday, May 21, 2003

"Through me the way into the suffering city,
Through me the way to the eternal pain,
Through me the way that runs among the lost.
Justice urged on my high artificer;
My maker was divine authority,
The highest wisdom, and the primal love.
Before me nothing but eternal things were made,
And I endure eternally.
Abandon every hope, ye who enter here."
-The Gates of Hell (From Dante's Inferno)

Just in from work and resting a little here with my feet up. Well under the table really lol. It wont be too much longer before i hit the sack and get some sleep as i feel so tired tonite. I was thinking about watching the movie but will give it a miss. Oh yeah talking of the movies i got invited to see the movie matrix 2 with some people from work but i am hoping that the young girl from work will go too which will be nice :-). We will have to see what will happen i guess and keep our fingers crossed :-)

I have a load of stuff that i am supposed to get ready for the end of next week but is impossible as they have given too much stuff and no time. Bad planning i think it should really be called but it was done by a person who isnt even present at our school. Some bloody person from a school thats over an hours drive away, i will not do this all by the time she asks and there isnt really much i can do about that. We need to get a coordinator definately to deal with these things as soon as possible.

Oh i need to sleep lol ,ill end here and go get some much needed downtime, nite nite :-)

posted at 7:43 PM by john |

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."
-Dalai Lama

today started off quite well but then I got the bad news lol.. apparently I must create 40 questions about the books the students are reading in ten days and I have to also answer every question in the book too and you dont wanna know how many questions there are per book lol. Three teachers to do all of them in ten days is impossible so I declined their kind offer but they said we have to do it. I would love to know who thinks of these crazy ideas as some of my students have nagged my ears off about this bloody book lol. I will add a few of my own personal questions as well I think. A glorious day and they decide to drop this one me and spoil it all for me…… oh well lol.

I had to go and get some photocopies this morning and the young girl in the store is all cow eyed at the acent, it was a little embarrassing I tell you lol. The sad thing is they seem to see me as a walking money bag instead of a person which is a shame. It gave me a chance though to try out my portugues although the people here are used to my terrible language skills where portugues is concerned lol.

I was talkng with the kids in the junior group this morning, these guys are so funny lol. They love to talk and I spent just a few minutes talking to them before coming back here. Ill have to think of something I can do with them on Fridays I think for extra activities as I am always at the school for conversation classes and stuff. Time to look online I guess for some decent stuff to do with them, I am sure there will be some crazy stuff on there maybe on the japanese ESL site.

Time to stop and get some lunch as I have to do something with those bullshit questions, oh my god why me???????? lol

posted at 10:33 AM by john |

Tuesday, May 20, 2003

Im playing with the template here for my weblog lol. Wow it looks alot different from the old one with alot more stuff on it. I want to try to move the Tag board up above the links list as its getting shoved lower and lower down the page so people cant see it.... Oops lol. Ive copied the code to a notepad document so i can play there and have a back up too and will upload the new one a little later if i get time before i go to teach.

I found some interesting stuff online the other day for teaching ESL classes and have been looking through some of it to see if there is anything i can use in classes with my students or if my other friends can use them in their groups as well. The site is japanese but in english and has loads of stuff there for children and teenagers as well. If you are interested in this stuff you can visit the site here at Genki

Hmmm one thing i discovered is that i cant get the accents in portuges to appear on my weblog lol. I will have to have a look at the help section when i get time to see if there is a way around this. Time to go play with the html stuff now as i am running out of time here lol.

Haha... i managed it, it took a couple of attempts as for some reason the first try had all this weird stuff that seemed to have come from Yahoo lol. dont ask me as i have no idea where it all came from. A bit of editing though and it all seems to be working and its alot better with the tag board at the top instead of creeping down the page lol.

posted at 2:42 PM by john |

Nuestro poder esta creciendo mas rapido que nuestra sabiduria - Fher

Im going to go into the city today for a medical checkup for my Carteira de trabalho. What a pain in the arse lol. I think it will only take a little while though to have one as i was told they just ask a few questions and then hold out their hands for the money :-) Should be good for a laugh and i can visit the bookstores too to see if they have anything good for me to read as i have exhausted all the decent books here.

i wont leave it too late to go though as its already getting very hot here, later being on the bus for the hour journey will probably kill me as the temp really climbs. Good though if you want an instant tan but not if you wanna get skin cancer :-(. I dont go downtown very often, it takes ages to get there and the buses arent exactly what you would call good lol. There are no trains here between cities and you wouldnt wanna use a taxi here as they are the most expensive forms of transport i know of in brasil. Having taxi driver as a proffesion isnt a good career move here i guess lol.

Hmmm well i ended up going to the cinema all on my own. I dont really know what happened with the young lady who has been giving me the real big hints she was interested in me, one minute she wanted to go and then she cancelled out. I will never understand brasilian people i think lol. Was a shame though as i thought she was really nice, was strange cause everyone at work was asking me how this date went yet when i told them nothing happened they seemd as lost as me because they too thought she liked me too. At a time like this there is just one thing to do...... Dose up on caffeine lol

**Now playing Vivir Sin Aire - Mana**

Apparently this group are mexican, the reason for the cd is because someone brought it after listening to the soundtrack to the soap operas here. I dont really understand alot of it as spanish is different from portugues and my knowledge of both languages is around the level of abyssmal lol. Its not too bad though, at least its more lively than the brasilian popular music as that sounds so samey all the time. Remember variety is the spice of life Brasil okay? lol I picked up another couple of cds though the other day.. something with english words. Red Hot Chilli Peppers & Linkin Park. The Peppers i like but the other one i knew the name but not the music and its okay, a little loud for the people next door i think though lol.

I will leave you guys here with a little translation from the song Viver Sin Aire although i am guessing alot will be lost in the translation but see how you go :-)

"Como quisiera poder vivir sin aire / Como quisiera poder vivir sin agua / Me encantaria querete un poco menos / Como quisiera poder vivir sin ti / Pero no puedo, siento que muero / Me estoy ahogando sin tu amor..." ("How I'd love to be able to live without air / How I'd love to be able to live without water / I'd be delighted to love you a little less / How I'd love to be able to live without you...")

posted at 9:37 AM by john |

Sunday, May 18, 2003

"Why do you write to me "God should punish the English"? I have no close connection to either one or the other. I see only with deep regret that God punishes so many of His children for their numerous stupidities, for which only He Himself can be held responsible; in my opinion, only His nonexistence could excuse Him."
-Albert Einstein

Dont you just love Albert Einstein? lol. We are talking about a very deep guys here right? :-)

**Plays With You - Linkin Park**

Yeah i really like this song, i have never really listened to linkin park before but they are actually really good :-). Loud too so the neighbours can hear them is the only way to play this sort of music ;-)

Well i have no idea what i will do today, i had asked someone i worked with to go to the movies with me this afternoon which for me is difficult to do as i am not good with people really. Being a teacher is alot different from one to one and i usually dont ask for dates but this time i did. I think though i maybe shouldnt have as i get the feeling this one is a run around :-( I guess there are just some people who like to mess around with peoples feelings, hmmmm of course there is always a chance i might be wrong i guess. But i wont ask again and she can either ring or not as i dont feel like asking again. I remember someone once told me its best never to date people from work, good advice maybe but the only people i have contact with are people from work... shit lol

anyway back to what can i do today?...... well i can watch the Matrix again, i love watching this film. Next week i will definately go to the cinema to see the new movie, looks as though it will be just me again :-( I read up online about it and the film looks awesome, special effects look amazing!!!! Oh and of course there is Trinity too right? ;-) Better not go thinking about her or i will need a Cold shower lol. Still dont know what to do this afternoon, maybe i will go play counterstrike with a couple of my students from my school in Planaltina as they gave me their numbers to let them know if i was going or not so they could join in with me. Hmmmm this idea sounds like a good one, i will have to see how much time i have after watching the movie

Better go and do something or ill never move from infront of this screen :-)

posted at 8:53 AM by john |